Rap
Rico Nasty Expands Her Repertoire on Debut Nightmare Vacation: Review
The Lowdown: Rico Nasty has always been a powerhouse, existing on the edge of Soundcloud rap in the mid-2010s while still finishing high school. Her infectious, aggressive-yet-bubbly style made waves on the Internet early on, attracting the attention of Lil Yachty in 2016 to remix her song “Hey Arnold” and being featured in the hit HBO series insecure in 2017. Combining her eclectic fashion sense with spitfire raps that effortlessly bounce between sex and violence makes her one of the biggest pieces in the growing mosaic of this new era of female rappers. Her long-awaited debut album, Nightmare Vacation, takes a fine-tooth comb through the style that has made her one of the most influential rappers of the past few years. With seven mixtapes under her belt, Rico sounds like a seasoned veter...
Kid Cudi to Release Man on the Moon III: The Chosen This Friday
Kid Cudi has been teasing the final installment in his Man on the Moon trilogy for months now. Thankfully, the wait is almost over. The rapper revealed earlier today that Man on the Moon III: The Chosen is due out this Friday, December 11th via Republic, bringing a decade-long narrative silence to an end. When breaking the news, Cudi shared some crucial details about Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. The album is broken up into four parts — Act 1: Return 2 Madness; Act 2: The Rager, The Menace; Act 3: Heart of Rose Gold; and Act 4: Powers — that span 18 tracks in total. Throughout it, he brought in Pop Smoke, Skepta, Trippie Redd, and Phoebe Bridgers (!) to collaborate on a few songs. Cudi began this trilogy years ago when he dropped Man on the Moon: The End of the Day in 2009 and Man ...
Flatbush Zombies’ Erick the Architect Announces Debut Solo Project, Shares “Let It Go”: Stream
Erick the Architect, co-founder and primary producer for Flatbush Zombies, has announced his debut solo EP Future Proof. It’s out January 22nd, and he’s offering a preview with the new single “Let It Go” featuring Loyle Carner and FARR. Over the last few years, Erick Elliot has gone from one of the primary drivers of the Flatbush Zombies’ distinctive sound to a sought-after producer in his own right. He recently produced on James Blake’s Before EP, and according to a statement he is currently collaborating on different projects with Blake and Joey Bada$$. Now this beloved co-worker is set to strike out on his own with Future Proof . The five-track effort was produced by Linden Jay and features contributions from Col3trane, Sophie Faith, and Pip Millett. In addition to produ...
Pete Davidson Spoofs Eminem’s “Stan” Video on SNL: Watch
After an extended hiatus, Saturday Night Live returned this weekend with a new episode hosted by Jason Bateman. Among the standout sketches was a Christmas-themed parody of Eminem’s classic “Stan” video, starring Pete Davidson as “Stu”. In the sketch, Davidson repeatedly writes to Santa Claus asking for a PlayStation 5. The spoofing also includes cameos from Dido Stu’s mom (played by Kate McKinnon), Sir Elton John (Bowen Yang), and ***spoiler*** one Marshall Bruce Mathers himself. Yes, the real Slim Shady makes a surprise appearance at the end of the sketch. Watch it below. At the top of this year, Eminem dropped his latest album, Music to Be Murdered By. Over the summer, he joined Big Sean on a new song called “The Adventures of Moon Man and Slim Shady”. Out...
Kamaiyah Announces New Project No Explanations, Shares “Still I Rise”: Stream
Kamaiyah rang in 2020 with a project called Got It Made. Now, she’s looking to close out the year the same way: the Oakland rapper has announced a new effort, No Explanations, due out later this month. Spanning 11 tracks, No Explanations is actually Kamaiyah’s third (!) collection of the year following the aforementioned Got It Made and September’s Oakland Nights, a collaborative mixtape with fellow Bay Area talent Capolow. As the project makes readily apparent, Kamaiyah isn’t answering to anyone, nor is she letting anything — even the nightmare that is the pandemic — hold back her prolificness. The Oakland MC makes this message crystal clear on “Still I Rise” featuring Jackboy, the lead single off No Explanations. In a statement, Kamaiyah said that the track “is about how we’re all f...
Heem Announces New Project, Shares “The Realest” featuring Benny the Butcher: Stream
Benny the Butcher is best known as one of the leaders of the prolific Griselda crew alongside Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn. However, the Buffalo rapper is also the head honcho of a different collective called the Black Soprano Family, which consists of a number of underground MCs including the rookie Heem. Back in April, Benny signed a deal to make BSF an imprint of eOne, and over the summer he released their debut project, Benny the Butcher & DJ Drama Present: The Respected Sopranos, which featured numerous amazing verses from Heem that hinted at his potential star power. Today, Heem has announced his first solo project, Long Story Short, and he’s giving listeners a fitting preview by sharing a song called “The Realest” that features The Butcher himself. Over an instrumental t...
Aminé Uncorks Deluxe Edition of Limbo: Stream
Aminé has dropped a new deluxe edition of his latest album Limbo. Stream it below through Apple Music or Spotify. This continues the trend of hip-hop deluxe editions that offer a whole new record’s worth of material. The Portland rapper has added seven additional tracks: “Mrs. Clean”, “Zack & Cody” featuring Valee, “Gelato”, “Talk” with Saba, “Chicken” featuring Toosii, “Buzzin” with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and “Solid”. These cuts come front-loaded, after which Limbo unspools as it did when first released over the summer. In a September interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting, Aminé explained his intentions behind the album, saying, “When I started making Limbo I though a lot about legacy. I was inspired by a lot of albums, but one that inspired me a while ago was 4:...
Rico Nasty Drops Debut Album Nightmare Vacation: Stream
Genre-bending rapper Rico Nasty has finally released her first full-length album, Nightmare Vacation. The highly-anticipated debut is a fitting end to 2020, which has felt like a year-long nightmare. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. Today’s new effort follows mixtapes like Sugar Trap in 2016 and the 2019 Kenny Beats collaboration Anger Management. It features standout singles in “iPhone” and “OFHR?”, both produced by Dylan Brady of experimental pop outfit 100 gecs. The tracklist also includes “Own It”, as well as the Gucci Mane and Don Toliver joint cut “Don’t Like Me”. Other guests include Aminé (“Back & Fourth”) and Trippie Redd (“Losers”). In an interview with the Recording Academy, Rico talked about her evolution over the years and how that impacted the LP. “I definitely...
Top 50 Songs of 2020
The 2020 edition of our Annual Report continues today with our Top 50 Songs of 2020. If you haven’t already, check out our Top 50 Albums of 2020, which came out earlier in the week. Also, be sure to tune in next week as we begin handing out our annual accolades and continue looking back on the strange year that was 2020. Upon being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame some years ago, Tom Waits said, “We love music, but what we really want is for music to love us back.” Believe it or not, it felt like music did that in 2020. For me, anyway. I know that it’s easy to see the world through pandemic goggles right now or strictly through the lens of racial injustice or political turmoil. Tragedy and frustration that keeps piling on can definitely cloud our vision or color our window on t...
Run the Jewels Team with Royal Blood for “The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix)”: Stream
Rap royalty Run the Jewels have linked up with the rockers of Royal Blood for the new remix “The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix)”. “The Ground Below” is the ninth track on RTJ4, and it was already built around crunchy guitars that came courtesy of Gang of Four’s “Ether”. But the original mix kept the strings in the background, the better to accent those thumping drums. Now, the “Royal Jewels Mix” flips that script, easing off the percussion and placing a more muscular guitar front-and-center. RB vocalist Mike Kerr sings the refrain “Your love never meant much to me!” and provides some heavenly “Oohs!” Check out “The Ground Below (Royal Jewels Mix)” below. RTJ4 is one of our favorite albums of 2020, and the Jewels aren’t resting on their laurels. Last month, Killer Mike and...
Drake Selling Scented Candles That Smell Like Drake
The only thing Drake loves more than himself is knowing how much more he’s loved by other people. Perhaps that’s why the Toronto rapper has created a new scented candle that “actually smells like Drake,” so fans can cozy up to his essence in the comfort of their own homes. Drake began teasing his new candle line, Better World Fragrance House, in June by mailing the fragrances to a bunch of his friends, including Kehlani, Steph Curry, and Toronto Raptors players Norm Powell, Fred Van Fleet, and Kyle Lowry. In turn, the celebs all shared pictures of the wicked wonders on social media. “Okayyyyyy thank you @champagnepapi,” wrote Kehlani alongside a photo of a candle inscribed with her name. The official Better World Fragrance House line is set to officially launch “this holiday season,” but t...
G Herbo Arrested for Stealing Identities to Pay for Vacation, Designer Puppies, More
Maybe it’s time for G Herbo to drop “Lawyer Fees Pt. II”. The Chicago rapper has been arrested on 14 counts of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as the Chicago Tribune reports. The $1.5 million scheme allegedly took place over the last four years, and was used to charter private jets, book a vacation, and purchase two designer puppies. The MC born Herbert Wright III isn’t the only one facing legal scrutiny. His manager and promoter Antonio “T-Glo” Strong is “alleged to be the ringleader of a $1.5 million fraud,” according to court records written by U.S. District Judge Robert Dow. Four other men are also charged: rapper Joseph “Joe Rodeo” Williams, and alleged co-conspirators Terrence Bender, Steven Hayes Jr., and Demario Sorrells. All have been charged wi...
